


Don't Stop, Don't Change, Stay Beautiful

by FixOrRideDaily



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: But I've decided he is, Double Dating, F/M, Festivals, Fights, Jealousy, Mild references to sex, Minor mentions of religion, POV Alternating, Passive-aggression, Secret Santa, That has no effect on anything, Trans Chris
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 08:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17118020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FixOrRideDaily/pseuds/FixOrRideDaily
Summary: Do double dates ever really go well?





	Don't Stop, Don't Change, Stay Beautiful

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sunflowers_And_Bluebelles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunflowers_And_Bluebelles/gifts).



> This is for Ashleyy-Brown on Tumblr for the Until Dawn Secret Santa!

"I can’t believe you’re going on a date with my sister?”

Chris sighs heavily after Josh calls through the open door. He’s standing at the sink in Josh’s private bathroom (right off the side of his bedroom). Chris didn’t want to fight over the bathroom he shared with Jess ever since their parents had gotten married. Besides the four of them meeting at someone’s house was easier than trying to coordinate meeting in a crowded place.

“Don’t say it like that!” he moans, disgusted by the idea of him and Hannah dating. He is trying to get the gel for his hair off his fingers. He doesn’t want to get his nice sweater sticky with goo. “You’re making it sound like Hannah and I are going out instead of just on a double date.”

“Still,” Josh calls again, too lazy to just walk over to the door and talk to Chris, “You’re gonna be out tonight having a romantic, sexy time with my sister around.”

Chris pulls on his most flattering light blue sweater fighting the urge to wipe his wet hands off on his grey denim jeans as he leaves the bathroom. Josh is sitting cross-legged in his messy bed, still in pajama pants and a beat up tank top. “Somehow I doubt things between me and Ash are gonna be getting sexy tonight.”

“Why not?” Josh shrugs, “Just because the lame ass snow fair or whatever is gonna be G rated, doesn’t mean you can’t fuck her in your truck before taking her home. Or maybe you’ll get lucky and sergeant jackass will still be out drinking so you can get lucky in her bed for once.”

“Did you give this same pep-talk to Hannah?” Chris laughs, re-tying his nice sneakers nervously. He wants to look as good as he can before Ashley sees him.

Josh groans and falls back into his bed, “You’re not allow to joke about something like that considering you’ve already said you won’t even keep your eyes on Matt for me.”

“I’m not spending **my** date night babysitting Hannah and Matt. Especially not if you’re so keen on me screwing Ash tonight.” Chris tries to laugh it off but honestly ever since this double date idea was suggested he has felt uneasy about the whole thing. Hannah, whose only reference for dating was what you see on TV and in movies, swore that double dating was fun. Sadly, she had no one to go out on said double date with. With her best friend dating her sibling and the rest of their friends single and loving it that left only the also newly coupled up Chris and Ashley. Chris had wanted to say “no,” even more so when Matt had wrapped Ashley in a giant one armed hug and declared he would love to spend the night with his “favorite two girls.” They all looked so excited.

Then Ashley giggled with her wide, affectionate eyes on Chris and he cannot deny her whatever she asks him when she does that. Once he’d agreed however, Ashley’s eager eyes jumped right back to Matt.

“Isn’t this great, Matt?”

“Yeah!” he agreed before he turned briefly to Chris and Hannah, “This is mine and Ashley’s favorite time of the year! Right?”

Ashley nodded along, “Oh, definitely! Ever since we were little!”

Hannah still looked excited but Chris felt a heavy stone drop into his stomach. It isn’t that Chris doesn’t like Matt. He’s a cool guy. He’s fun to hang out with when the group is together. It’s just that Matt is, in one word, gorgeous. An Adonis of a man. He’s the pinnacle of the sexy, charming gentleman stereotype and Chris is, well, Chris. Even though the guy seems to be totally smitten with Hannah, his obvious closeness to Ashley is still unnerving. One alluring smile, intense look and suave whisper could steal her away in a millisecond. It’s hard to believe Ashley doesn’t see the appeal of a guy like Matt.

With that thought Chris rushes back into the bathroom to look himself over. He checks his hair and his clothes three more times. He thinks about shaving but Ashley is always saying she likes when his face is a bit rough. Plus he doesn’t really have the time for that. Chris has contacts but he rarely wears them. Should he? The one thing he has going for him is his almost impossibly icy blue eyes. He ends up digging them out of his bag. He needs every advantage he can get.

“Whoa, you’re going without your specs tonight? You sure you’re not aiming to get laid?”

“Shut up,” Chris says, slinging his bag onto his shoulder because he has to meet Hannah in about a minute to then wait for Matt and Ashley. Josh twists his head to watch as Chris leaves.

“Hey, can you at least do a bro a solid and make sure Matt has Hannah back before ten?”

Chris ignores him as he closes the door to head upstairs. He hears Josh shout, “fuck you too” before he’s reached the top. Hannah is leaning on the banister of the steps by the front door, practically shaking with excitement. She smiles widely when she sees him. She’s wearing a “Christmas green” dress. It sparkles in the light and it has the kind of frills that most holiday clothes do. She has on stockings tinted a similar color leaving a small section of her thighs bare. Green is a good color on Hannah and her slightly shiny makeup only serves to highlight that. Her tall heeled boots make her look more mature and bring her almost eye to eye with Chris. Her hair is curled and braided in places. She looks beautiful…

And it really bothers him. He can’t place why but Hannah looks… too good? Maybe it’s just that Chris isn’t used to seeing her dolled up. Except for some special event. Even then there isn’t the same level of, simply put, sexiness to her outfit.

“Hey,” he says trying not to stare at her, “You look good. Matt’s gonna be blown away.”

“Aww thanks, Chris,” she says playing with the skirt of her dress a bit. Then she looks him over and that same weird look he knows he’d just made comes to her face, “You look- Well, you look- I mean you look nice but um- You don’t feel underdressed?”

He looks down at himself then back at her, confused, “No? I doubt that old saint nick himself is going to be there and put me on his naughty list based on how I’m dressed. And even if he did, it wouldn’t matter seeing as I’m Jewish.”

“So this is how you always dress when you take Ashley out?”

“Yes..?”

“Oh.”

There’s a judgement there he is uncomfortable with but ignores as the bell rings and she goes to open the door. If this is any indication of how high maintenance Hannah normally is on a date, he feels bad for Matt. Ashley isn’t like that. She’s fun, laid back, cool. She doesn’t need any of that ritzy junk. She’s not into that kind of scene. She’d rather head down to a local hipster bar to get a little drunk and make him dance with her even though he’s a terrible mess at it. After which she drags him to the most private place she can find so they can make-out (or more). Ashley is- He’s in the middle of his thought when from behind Matt and Hannah she appears. -Perfect.

She’s worn a short, simple, grey skirt along with her light blue (tight) sweater. It’s paired with white leggings, grey boots, white bows in her low pigtails and, of course, a little blue beanie. She has dressed far more appropriately and still looks breathtaking.

Ashley practically skips over and jumps up to wrap her arms around his neck for a kiss “hello.” Chris catches her like he’s done a thousand times before, lifting her off her feet while they kiss. Her face, which was already red from the cold, glows even brighter as he sets her back down, still held in his arms. He presses his forehead to hers then lets her pull away but he keeps hold of her hands. She looks him up and down before saying, “Well, hey there, handsome, I must be your homework? Cause you’re not doing me right now and I think you should be.”

“No, I’m pretty sure you’re my SAT test because I plan on doing you for three hour straight with a fifteen minute break for snacks in between.”

They both laugh as they release hands before he catches Matt's eye over her shoulder. He has a strange forced smile stretching across his face as Hannah stands by him, tucked underneath his arm. He’s holding her against his body with her hands on his chest and shoulder. Chris feels awkward again. He wonders how long the other couple has been waiting. Not that it matters as they still definitely heard those intentionally lame, joking pick up lines. The air is tense now and everyone is simply existing in it.

“So, uh Matt,” Chris forces out a greeting, “My man, what’s up?”

“Oh you know,” Matt says back, either genuinely or much better at faking than he is, “The usual, school, football, family, friends…”

He hugs Hannah even more uncomfortably tightly to him to which she giggles a mildly annoying high pitched sound. “And of course, this one. She keeps me on my toes.”

“Yeah,” Chris says. Although he doubts Matt hears him as he and Hannah rub noses together before they kiss deeply in a far too intimate way. After they just sort of gaze at each other with these intense, passionate eyes. Matt, he notices, is dressed as well as Hannah with a nice turtleneck in a dark green that matches with Hannah’s dress and a stylish black blazer along with black slacks and expensive looking boots. Chris has to question if these two know they’re going to an outdoor festival and not an upscale soiree.

Matt and Hannah continue to kiss and whisper to each other as if he and Ashley are not there. Their hands are almost like claws they hold each other so tightly. They are so close together it would be difficult to stick a piece of paper between them. It’s quite excessive for a kiss “hello.” They look moments from making out. Chris feels his stomach turn as he looks away and back. He doesn’t want to keep looking at them but needs to see if they’re ready. Then Hannah makes a noise that causes bile to climb up his throat. It’s felt like hours already.

Suddenly Chris feels Ashley grab hold of his arm and cuddle against it. She snuggles her head into his shoulder in a very purposeful and obvious way. She interlocks their fingers. She presses his arm to her chest almost between her breasts, settling her pelvis on his hip. It isn’t that Chris doesn’t enjoy this, there’s just something so unnatural about it. She isn’t even looking at him as she does it. After a moment or two Ashley clears her throat.

“Hey, Hannah, how are you doing?”

Hannah with her hands around Matt’s shoulders and face inches from his neck quickly turns to look their way and Ashley hugs him tighter. Hannah looks them over before a polite smile comes to her face and she steps just barely away from Matt, “Good, I’m doing really good. Everyone is in such a good mood this time of year. It’s contagious, you know? What about you?”

“Relieved exams are over, though I do miss all those long study hours Chris and I put in.”

The way she says the words “study hours” makes it sound like they do something very different in the private back stacks. In truth they’d done some of what she is implying but fooling around in the hidden spots of the library isn’t something they do often. It’s more “we can so we should” type of thing. He has to wonder why Ashley wants to give a different impression to Hannah. Chris also wonders why Matt’s jaw is now clenched as he forces a smile. There is a darkness in his eyes that almost hurts to look at. He’s looking at Chris and much like Hannah looks them up and down. His nostrils flare a little and his muscles flex.

“Sounds…” Hannah struggles, “Fun.”

“Speaking of fun,” Chris blurts out dying to get out of whatever this is, “How about we get over to the fairgrounds? Get this night started?”

“Yeah, definitely,” Matt agrees heading out the door with one arm around Hannah as they leave. Ashley pulls away but still holds his hand as they follow outside.

Once in the driveway, Matt begins to walk towards his car. Chris stops, confused, then he asks, “I thought we were all riding together?”

“We are,” Matt says also stopping to look back at him.

“Do you need something out of your car first?”

“Uh no. There’s enough room for all of us already.”

“Why does that matter?” Chris asks taking a step towards his truck. Matt sees him do it and understanding passes between them.

“Because we’re taking it to the fair.” Matt takes a step back towards his car.

“Oh, I thought we’d take the truck.” Chris also takes a step back.

“Why would we do that?” Another step.

“It just makes more sense.” Step. “You and Hannah are coming back here together. I have to take Ashley home later.”

“I can drop Ashley off on the way back here.” Step.

“No offense, Matt but I’d like to take Ashley home.” Chris finally stops to stand firm. “Alone.”

Matt’s eyes narrow a bit as he stops as well. He looks like he wants to ask why Chris is so keen on taking Ashley home without Matt and Hannah around. Except he already knows why. It’s the same reason Matt is staying overnight with Hannah. They’re all young, red-blooded people with carnal desires. He’d been playing around with Josh earlier, Chris hasn’t yet abandoned the hope of getting in some private time with Ashley.

Before he can argue with Chris though, Ashley says simply, “Matt,” with a begging voice and pleading eyes. Matt looks back at her and softens. They have a whole conversation without opening their mouths. It bothers Chris and from the look on her face it bothers Hannah as well. It shouldn’t. Matt and Ashley had grown up together. So did Hannah and Chris but unlike with them two, they were not friends by proxy of him being her brother’s friend. Matt and Ashley are friends in their own right. He knows her time with her boyfriend is on a timer and they so rarely get a full night to spend together.

So with a sigh Matt concedes, “Okay, the truck it is then.”

Chris tries to hide a smug grin as he swells with pride especially because even though Ashley is gleefully smiling neither Matt nor Hannah look happy climbing into the back of his truck. It’s not a spacious backseat. They look uncomfortable. That is until Hannah solves the space problem by sliding closer to Matt and shifting around until they are basically snuggling. Then he tries to hide a scowl as he starts the engine. Once on their way, Ashley reaches over to grab his hand and gives him a bright smile. That makes him feel better even as he can hear Matt and Hannah are at it again with their gross sweet talk and sickeningly affectionate touching. Ashley is more than worth the headache this night is going to be though.

And Chris can tell, it’s gonna be quite the headache.

* * *

Matt hadn’t really registered when it was suggested that a double date with Ashley and Chris would include Ashley _and Chris_.

Okay that sounded stupid. However the fact was he had been so focused on his excitement in spending the night with his girlfriend and his best friend that the fact her boyfriend would also be there was barely a thought. So what being out with her and her boyfriend would be like had not been on his mind either. If it had been something he had considered he might not have been as excited as he was leading up to the event.

He liked to think of himself as a respectful guy. A gentleman. Someone who treated a girl like the lady she was. At least on a date. Playful banter was meant for when you were alone with your girl. On a proper date you treated a girl like a princess and not just some chick.

So to hear Chris blatantly make a (bad) joke about him “doing” Ashley made heat slither from his tailbone up to his neck. He was lucky enough to be distracted from that by his own beautiful girlfriend though. He’d almost forgotten about it until Chris implied in the driveway how serious he had been about his claim. Matt was not the brightest guy around but he knew exactly what a guy meant when he said he wanted to be alone with a girl the way Chris said it. That time it was Ashley who calmed him. She didn’t get to have a lot of fun with her dad being as strict as he was and Matt didn’t actually know if he knew Ashley even had a boyfriend. So he had let it go because Ashley deserved that. He regrets it now that they're on the road.

Even with Hannah tucked so wonderfully under his chin he can’t ignore the couple up front. Especially when Chris pulls Ashley’s hand over to his side to kiss and she giggles with a blush. Then she pulls his hand closer to her and wraps her other hand around it. She’s either forgotten Hannah and Matt are there, doesn’t care that they are or thinks they are not paying attention, which to be fair Hannah isn’t.

Ashley is gently playing with Chris’ fingers as she says in a quite dreamy, almost breathy voice, “Your hands are so big.”

“Yeah,” Chris laughs, “I know.”

Matt doesn’t like the look she gives him when she says, “I like your hands.”

And he hates the way Chris says, “Yeah, I know.”

She laughs again and he says, “What? I’m just a very hands on kind of guy.”

Still laughing she nods and says. “Yes, I’ve noticed how you like to get your hands dirty.”

Now they’re both laughing as Ashley continues to play with his fingers. Matt wonders how long they are going to go on about his stupid hands. There can only be so many ways to say what they are very clearly saying. He and Hannah would never go on like this and they both have pretty good hands themselves. Thankfully Chris eventually needs both his hands to drive and she lets him go. Matt tries to relax again but it’s hard to focus on cuddling up with Hannah when the idea of Ashley and Chris is now so prominent in his head. They reach the fairgrounds not long after that though.

Chris and Matt open their doors at almost the exact same time and step out. They both start to walk around the front to the other side. They smile awkwardly as they walk next to each other. Chris gets to Ashley’s door first and it’s not a contest but it makes Matt feel a little less romantic that Chris has helped Ashley out of the truck before he can help Hannah. Hannah doesn’t seem to see it that way though. She hugs him immediately with another kiss. Matt becomes lost in her and in them again.

“Hey,” he hears Chris practically snap but he is smiling when Matt looks over at him and Ashley, “You two want to actually get into the festival tonight?”

It’s a joke but there is bite behind it. Ashley is standing behind him, holding one of his apparently amazing hands with both her hands again. She looks uncomfortable so Matt blushes, knowing he and Hannah can get a bit carried away sometimes. Hannah doesn’t look embarrassed at all, tucking herself under his arm with her own arm around his back. Matt thinks he sees Ashley roll her eyes along with Chris before she drags him towards the gate.

“Come on, Chris,” she says sweetly, “I wanna start having some fun.”

Chris glances back at them quickly before he responds to her in a terrible whisper, “I’m into a lot of unconventional stuff, Ash but having an audience isn’t one of them.”

Ashley laughs but they both blush in a way that says again how it’s only half of a joke. Matt isn’t sure whether he wants to gag Chris or punch him in the throat to shut him up. He looks down at his own girlfriend. She isn’t much shorter than him which makes them walking side by side easy. She’s dressed much more appropriately for a night out. Her dress looks amazing on her though Hannah usually looks amazing. She has a great sense of style and knows exactly how to show off her best features. The right kind of dress to accentuate her hips and chest. The exact height of her stockings and heels needed to show off her long legs. The perfect amount of makeup to brighten her already glowing smile and make her lashes more pronounced. He knows it takes her a lot of time to get ready. He appreciates how good she wants to look for him and so he tries his best to do the same for her.

He brushes her hair gently with his fingers so as not to mess it up before the two of them follow the other couple still snug together. This forces Matt to look back to Chris and Ashley. He finds himself feeling bad for Ashley. Chris must not take her to very nice places if their outfits are what she considers date night clothes. That anger at Chris consumes him again. Ashley isn’t a lady the way a girl like Hannah is, she never has been but she still deserves to be treated better than her boyfriend obviously thinks she does. Chris is a nice guy but this makes Matt wonder for what must be the dozenth time why Ashley likes him. Does she just not think she deserves better? Because Ashley deserves a prince as much as Hannah does and a prince Chris is not.

“So,” Chris says, stretching the word as he does and looking around at all the various activities. “What do we want to do first?”

The other three look around as well. They have a few hours before the tree lighting ceremony. There isn’t a lack of things to do either. It’s just a matter of picking where to start. Matt is trying to make his choice when he sees it. A smile comes to his face only a second before he hears Ashley gasp in joy most likely having seen it as well. She’s grinning like a child when he looks her way and from her shining eyes he knows he must look just as happy as he feels.

A moment later they are both dashing to the beverage stand with her a few steps behind him as she’s not the athlete he is. He gets there first and hurries to get in line. Ashley bumps into him, out of breath. He lets her lean on him for a moment to breathe. She recovers in time for them to get to the counter. The young man gives them his attention and at the same time Ashley asks, “Does your cider have cinnamon?!” Matt asks, “Does your hot chocolate have marshmallows?!”

The man is taken aback by their enthusiasm. He looks between them after he collects himself, “Yes. To both.”

Matt feels his smile stretch even wider as he and Ashley once again speak perfectly in sync, “Can we have one of each, please?”

The man gives a look before speaking to the lady behind him. She nods as Matt and Ashley move to one side and the family after them orders. It’s less than a minute before they have a cup in hand each. They blow on their cups as they wander away to stand by a nearby bench. Cups close to their mouths, he says, “Okay ready?”

“Ready.” Ashley nods.

“Count of three?” he asks and she nods again, “Alright, one-”

“There you guys are!” Matt turns to see the source of the interruption. Chris is walking over. Behind him is Hannah who was looking a different direction before she sees Chris is heading their way. She follows and moments later their foursome is together again.

“Oh,” Ashley says shyly, realizing immediately like him what they did, “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. You two just took off so fast! We had a hard time catching up.”

“I guess we did kind of take off on you guys.” She looks away with a blush. Chris looks nervous about it but keeps face. Hannah though…

Hannah is half-glaring and half-pouting at Matt. He feels like a heel. Did he really just run off with another girl while on a date with her? Admittedly the other girl was his best friend, not some random girl he met there. He has a feeling Hannah doesn’t see it that way though. She looks as if she was ditched. Shame envelops him as he realizes technically she was. Clearing his throat he tries to explain.

“Uh, you see, babe,” he stumbles over his words, “Ash and I- well we kind of have this tradition. We’ve been doing it since we were, god what?” he looks to Ashley, “Nine? Ten? See my favorite winter drink is hot chocolate and Ashley’s is hot cider so we do this thing-”

“Matt and I always have our first drink of the season together,” Ashley explains, “Down to the very first sip.”

“Yeah,” Matt agrees awkwardly.

“We just saw the stand and got overexcited.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s fine. I mean we’re all here to have fun together, right?” Chris says, with a wave of his hand. There’s nothing about it that isn’t awkward. Hannah doesn’t seem to agree with him. She hasn’t said anything about it yet and he doesn’t expect her to. Not in public. Although once the two of them are alone he suspects he’s going to hear about this a lot and for a good long while.

Maybe he’s not such a prince either.

* * *

“Good cider?” Chris asks, pretty sure his heart nearly burst from his chest when Ashley and Matt ran off together.

She nods, “It's warm.”

“Must be nice in this weather.”

“Oh? Cold, sweet summer child?” She closes the distance between them as best as she can. Then grabbing his hand with one of her warm ones she says, “I could probably get you hot and bothered pretty quickly if you're interested.”

“Careful now, I might hold you to that.”

She giggles and he silences the sound with a kiss. Her lips are warm and they taste like apples and cinnamon. They only hold hands and their kiss is short lived but that is still enough to get his blood to burn inside his veins. Ashley never has to do much to spike his libido. The thought of her and how she’s his is all he ever seems to need. They’re smiling big, goofy, but somehow still suggestive smiles as they always do, faces red from more than the cold air. She steps away to continue drinking her cider but she doesn’t feel far. The love between them is too strong.

“I want to go ice-skating!” Hannah suddenly announces, arms secure around Matt’s waist even though he seems as confused by the display of affection as the other couple. Chris looks over to his own date as she finishes her drink. He doesn’t want to go but Ashley is smiling enough that he can tell she is at least a little interested. Matt seems to just be relieved Hannah looks happy rather than angry.

So with a forced smile Chris agrees, “Sounds great.”

A weird look passes between Ashley and Hannah as Matt and her make their way passed. Chris feels that turning in his gut again when he sees Hannah has her hand in his back pocket. Matt’s hand is decently far down her side as well. They look almost attached to each other. Uncomfortable as he is he feels Ashley interlock their fingers to follow them.

Chris is not in the best shape so he doesn’t have a very athletic body. He’s also a big guy with long limbs and is very clumsy. He is not built for most sports, ice skating included. Which means not long after he has his skates on, he’s stumbling along the ice both his hands on the railing in the hopes of not falling down. Matt suggested he grab one of the balancing stands for children and beginners but in his stubbornness Chris refused. He wishes he hadn’t because holding onto the side, slipping and sliding every other step probably makes him look much more ridiculous. Especially with his girlfriend nearby doing a much better job then him.

“Do you want my help?” she asks for the third or fourth time he reaches her.

“Sure,” Chris finally relents with a sigh and lets her hold his hand and his arm to keep him up as she leads them around the rink. He does feel better leaning on Ashley because it feels more like they’re skating together. He at least feels like they’re doing something romantic instead of her babysitting him. Still it is incredibly embarrassing.

Even more so when he looks at Hannah and Matt, both of whom compete semi-professionally in a few sports. They move around the rink like dancers. Matt has removed his blazer and so they look like a couple from a show. He can hardly believe the talent the two have out on the ice. They don’t just skate holding hands like him and Ashley are (barely) doing. They go backwards, circle around one another. They twirl and come together then apart in this perfect rhythm. If he didn’t know better he would think they had a whole routine planned ahead of time. Even still a part of him suspects maybe they did. People are turning to watch this young, beautiful couple as they glide along the floor.

All while Chris can't even stand on his skates without Ashley’s help. He notices Ashley watching them with a tint of longing in her eyes. He doesn’t blame her for it. It’s perfectly natural for her to be envious of the skill and grace their friends possess. He wishes he could impress her and make her smile the way Hannah is in Matt’s arms. He wishes Ashley looked like she was having as much fun as Hannah clearly is. It’s certainly not the sexiest he has felt around her. It comes with dark feeling of inadequacy. That combined with the way Matt spins Hannah into a tight and almost sexual hold makes Chris dry heave.

Eventually they do stop and skate over to him. Chris has given up and is sitting on a bench just outside the rink watching Ashley spin around adorably. She skates over too and it looks like thankfully everyone is done with this particular activity. Chris is relieved he already took off those painful skates and they can now do something much less active. That is until Hannah speaks.

“Sorry to leave you hanging, babe,” she says to Matt then explains, “Bathroom.”

Chris whines as quietly as he can when she sits next to him to quickly remove her skates and pull on her boots. She waves as she runs off to the restroom, “Be right back!”

Matt and Ashley lean against the rail and watch her leave. Then Matt looks at him, “You done for the night?”

Ashley saves him some embarrassment by saying flirtatiously, “Oh no. Trust me, Chris is far from being done tonight!”

She bites her lip as her eyes travel along his body. His confidence receives a slight boost again. Once more though it doesn't stay that way for long. Almost as if to purposely undercut Chris, Matt holds his hand out to Ashley in invitation. He even bows though it's clearly meant more as a silly, fun gesture between friends than something romantic.

“Wanna skate with me for a bit then?”

“Oh.” Ashley looks from him to Chris as if asking for permission and he hates that. He doesn't want to be that kind of boyfriend. The kind who acts like his girlfriend can’t have male friends or needs his approval before doing something as simple and innocent as ice skating. But he also really, really, really doesn't want Ashley to skate with Matt. He forces a smile anyway.

“Well, be sure to have her home by ten,” Chris tries to joke as an answer instead. Ashley takes Matt's hand with a smile and off they go. He stands and leans against the railing. Though it's less fancy than it was with Hannah due to Ashley not being at the same skill level, they still look pretty good together. Matt's finesse more than makes up for what she lacks. Chris feels pathetic in comparison. Matt is clearly so much better at this romancing thing than he is. Matt isn't even trying to win over Ashley and is doing better at it than Chris is. That's on top of how successfully he's wooed Hannah too.

Despite what Ashley said, in that moment Chris does feel completely worn out for the night.

* * *

Matt had been a little shocked Hannah threw her arms around him when she had only seconds before looked like she was going to give him the cold shoulder. He’d even been a little worried he was about to be uninvited to her place for the night. He wouldn’t blame her as he had run off without a word but he hates it when Hannah is upset with him. Matt hates it when anyone is. Things are just simpler when people are getting along. However after some angry pouting and refusing to look at him she suddenly hugged his waist to declare she wanted to go ice skating. People didn’t usually argue with Hannah so they headed to the rink.

“You sure you aren’t going to get cold, darling?” Hannah asks as he removes his blazer before taking her hand to pull her out onto the ice.

“Nah,” he says waving her off, “Come on I want to get to skating.”

Hannah giggles as he pulls her out further and they glide together along the ice. They hold hands tightly and stay close together as they circle the rink. It’s one of those moments where things between him and Hannah feel perfect. Sometimes he can’t believe how long it was before they saw what was between them. Though Sam once suggested maybe they just had to grow a little first. Whatever the reason he has her now and that’s all that matters. Just him and his girl being together.

“Hey,” he says playfully after they've gotten into a comfortable sway, “Wanna have a little fun?”

Hannah looks a bit confused but mostly excited, “Matthew Taylor, what are you thinking?”

“Just hold onto me,” he answers as he grabs her other hand and she laughs adorably.

Matt twists until he is skating backwards and Hannah is momentarily caught off guard as he begins to curve in one direction then the other while holding her. Soon though she catches on to what he is doing and they curve out wider and smoother together. He isn’t a professional skater and neither is Hannah but they both dance well and are in very good shape. It’s not difficult to use those skills on the ice. They fall very naturally into their movements as they start to circle and twirl with a decent amount of skill. He pulls her into him and then spins her out. They twist around each other as if they are slow dancing. He even dares to lift her up, spin her around and place her back on her feet.

He twirls her around and into his arms tightly. She giggles, “You’re so dashing, Matt.”

“Only for you,” he whispers before separating their bodies and circling her around him. It’s true. Matt has always been a “pull-out-all-the-stops” type of boyfriend but Hannah really brought out the depths of that for him. He’s always been drawn to her and this idea that she’s too innocent and pure to not deserve the best. Once they started dating he was put in a position to give her all those things. So he did, more so than with any girl before her.

Their apparent natural talent at the sport isn’t what thrills Matt. It’s the smile on Hannah’s face every time he sees her. She’s having so much fun. She looks beautiful and Matt is totally in love with her. Him getting to take her on this short winter adventure is a gift to them both. It’s the best way he can think to start off the Christmas season. He knows people are watching them but he doesn’t care. The only people in the world are him and her.

Until Matt looks passed her after a few more circles around the rink and sees Ashley with Chris.

Chris looks like he is about to fall on top of Ashley but she is just smiling. A pain hits his gut with the way Ashley giggles and looks at Chris. He can’t place how but Ashley looks different when she’s around him. There’s a glint in her eyes that is unfamiliar to Matt and (as hard as it is for him to admit) it’s sexy. It’s hard to explain really. Ashley doesn’t dress sexy or anything like that but when she’s with Chris she somehow looks sexier. It’s in her body language and in her eyes and in her tone of voice. Chris does something to her. Matt doesn’t want to expend the energy to try and figure out what that is.

Soon he feels Hannah pull him in the direction of their friends. He follows obediently as always. At first he thinks she wants to do something else but instead she quietly says she has to go to the bathroom and races off. She’s probably eager to get in and out and back. Unfortunately this leaves Matt in the company of Chris and Ashley. Normally Matt loves hanging out with Ashley. They had laughed and playfully argued over the radio the entire drive over to Hannah’s place. Matt and Ashley have no problems getting along… when she’s not making jokes about having sex with Chris. She and Chris seems to do that often. More than Matt would have guessed but he would have guessed zero so that bar was low. The only thing he can think to do is ask her to skate with him.

Gleefully she takes his hand and he can tell she has been dying to properly skate. It’s not really Chris’ fault that he isn’t good at skating but it still annoys him. He’s determined that Ashley have the most fun possible. So after they’ve gone around a few times Matt grabs her other hand and much like Hannah spins her around him. Ashley stumbles with a yelp as she doesn’t have the balance Hannah does. She catches herself though with some help from him. He waits to make sure she is stable on her feet and then leads her around the floor with flourish. She laughs and he’s glad as they circle each other trying to spin fast but not too fast. Matt has to support most of her but he’s more than able to. He laughs too and he can hear how loud and joyful the sound is.

“Matt, slow down!” she finally cries when one of her hands breaks loose from his hand causing her to flail as she flies away. He tightens his hold on her other hand then pulls her close to hold onto his elbow and lean on him. Again she is slightly out of breath. He always feels bad about it when he outdoes Ashley. He’s always been the taller, faster, stronger, etc of the two. She’s got more brain than he could hope to though so it evens out.

“Sorry,” he says as he slows them to a casual pace. “I got excited.”

She laughs, “It’s okay. I did too.”

“We do that a lot, huh?”

“Hmm, yeah it might be a problem worth study.”

They are both laughing when Ashley looks beyond him at something and her face softens. Turning that way he isn’t shocked to see Chris has caught her eye and waves timidly. She leans around Matt to wave far more enthusiastically back. In the span of a second Ashley has gone from his feisty childhood friend to a young passionate woman. He looks between them a few times before his eyes settle on her, holding onto his arm but staring at her boyfriend on the other side of the ice. For a second he considers asking her why. Why Chris? He might have even done it had he not turned to look back at Chris first.

There only a foot away from Chris stands Hannah back from the ladies’ room. Matt pulls Ashley their way immediately as the fear of repeating his earlier mistake chokes him. Ashley is slipping a little because he’s basically dragging her with how quickly he skates over. He’s surprised neither of them hit the railing before they stop. Ashley does fumble a little but Chris is there to grab her and pull her against him. She laughs a very different laugh than before.

“Hey, dollface,” Matt says daring to lean towards Hannah for a kiss. She is receptive to it and doesn’t look upset when he pulls away. At least not as much as before. Hannah is awful at hiding her emotions and he can see the struggle she is having to not show however she feels.

“Did you have fun?” Chris asks loudly before Hannah can say anything. Matt is actually thankful for it. Whatever Hannah is thinking is not something he can handle. Hannah smiles and it’s still beautiful even if it’s not the one she shares with him alone.

“I had a great time!” Ashley says before Hannah can answer. Her smile breaks just a little bit. “Although I kinda feel bad dragging you here and then running off.”

“You should,” Chris quips, “I’m absolutely furious with you.”

She whispers it but Ashley’s whispering voice is not the best either, “You can punish me later.”

“Well, I had a wonderful time!” Hannah chimes in loudly. She grabs his arm and leads him over to their stuff. As he sits to removes his skates she continues, “Matt, I didn’t know you were so amazing at skating. I mean, wow, honey! Right, Ash? You skated with him. Can you believe how talented he is?”

Ashley is already ready when Matt is tying his shoes. She’s holding Chris’s hand but she is stiff, “Yeah, he’s pretty good. It was fun.”

Hannah feels up his biceps once his blazer back on, “Oh. And how cute was all that dancing? We looked good out there didn’t we, Chris? I saw you and some other people watching.”

Chris nods awkwardly but Matt senses a quiet fury pulsing off of him, “Yeah, you guys looked great together.”

Hannah rubs his chest and feels up his arm with her eyes bouncing from him to the other two, “Maybe we should think about taking it up? We’re both in great shape already. It would keep you limber for football too. Best of all we could do it together! It would be so much fun!”

Matt wraps an arm around her and pulls her close. She’s so adorable when she has an idea and starts running off with it. He kisses her forehead then her lips. With their heads together he says, “How about we get through tonight and talk about it later, sweetheart?”

“Okay, okay,” she half-sighs, “You’re right. I guess I’m a bit hopped up. I really did love getting to skate with you though, baby.”

“Me too, sugar.” He kisses her nose.

Suddenly Chris’s voice cuts through the air, “You guys want to get some food?”

Matt snaps to look at him and Hannah does the same. He and Ashley are off to the side still and are not even pretending they weren’t getting annoyed waiting on them. They have both moved subtly towards the exit. They are smiling but it’s in the running for the most forceful two smiles of the night. Matt and Hannah shift into a more comfortable position for walking and smile as well.

“Yeah,” he answers, “Sounds great.”

“Good, I gotta find something to eat.” Chris pulls Ashley away from the rink after he says it but not before Matt sees her snicker. He has a feeling even though she didn’t say it out loud that a very dirty thought just flew threw her mind.

Matt follows them with Hannah clinging to him as much as possible for them to be able to walk. He really hopes he’s actually going to be able to enjoy his food after that.

* * *

There are plenty of food trucks set up around the fairgrounds. They’re definitely charging more than the food is worth but at least there is variety among them. Everyone can get exactly what they want. Chris with his fingers interlocked with Ashley's heads immediately to the people advertising barbecue pulled pork and fried bacon mac and cheese. He loves greasy food and doesn't much care if others find it gross. Ashley is one of the few people who doesn't recoil at his eating habits though he knows she's going to get food somewhere else. She follows him with no hesitation. It’s Hannah who stops him.

“Where are you two going?” He hears her ask. He turns to see she and Matt have not followed him and Ashley and don't look like they have any plans to. Maybe they just aren’t hungry yet but that doesn’t mean he and Ashley can’t eat. He doesn’t mind if they want to get food later and knows Ashley won’t either.

“Getting food..?” Ashley says voicing their confusion although while she is looking at Matt and not Hannah. “I thought you guys were hungry.”

“We are,” Hannah says looking briefly at Matt. He looks uncomfortable at her side. He and Ashley keep eye contact as if speaking their secret language. Chris quickly gets annoyed. He lets out a heavy sigh. Matt moves his eyes to Chris and doesn’t look happy.

“So what's the issue, Han?” Chris says despite this, glancing back at the line of vendors briefly. The lines are slowly getting longer. It’s just after dinner time for most families.

“I just thought-” she cuts herself off then elbows Matt slightly as she says, “Matt…”

Matt rubs the back of his neck and gives Ashley a sympathetic look. Chris tightens his hold on her hand and even encourages her to come a bit closer. She moves instinctively. Ashley looks huffy already and that bothers Chris too. While Chris is clueless still, it looks like she knows exactly what's going on.

“I think-” Matt says timidly then with a look at Hannah continues more firmly, “Me and Han would rather have a sit down meal somewhere instead of you know…”

Ashley goes tense and Chris can sense why. Standing by his own girlfriend's side Chris meets Matt's eyes before saying, “There are plenty of tables and benches around. We'll be able to find some place to sit, don't worry.’

Hannah tugs Matt's sweater. He looks at her and then meets Chris gaze again, “It's not just about sitting down, dude.”

“Then what's it about?” Chris challenges trying to keep his voice neutral, “We're all free to get what we want this way. Seems easiest to me.”

Hannah mocks him by mumbling, “I didn't know we were looking for what was easy.”

Chris feels his neck heat and can feel a pulsing heat off Ashley. They both know what the other couple is implying and are mutually insulted. There are a few fairly nice restaurants within the nearby area staying open in the hopes people from the festival will head their way. That’s what Matt and Hannah want to do. No, that’s what Matt and Hannah think people are supposed to do and are absolutely judging him and Ashley for thinking differently. Chris can handle it. He’s been around Hannah long enough. Ashley, not so much. He’s afraid she is about to cut Hannah down a peg or two when Matt steps forward.

“Come on, guys,” he says gently. He waves at the trucks behind them, “You guys don’t seem like you care too much where we eat. Hannah and I do. So can we go where we want instead?”

Chris snorts as quietly as he can manage. He doubts Matt actually cares where they eat. He is just too whipped to say so. Chris expects Ashley to speak for them so he stays silent. To his surprise though Ashley simply lets out a sigh. He looks at her and she looks at him. Without a word he knows she has decided not to fight them and there is no way he is going to fight her. So with a sigh of his own he walks back toward the other couple, “Yeah, sure we can, Ash and I are pretty chill people. As long as we’re together, we’re good with anything. That’s all that really matters to us.”

There’s a bite there he doesn’t intend and Matt narrows his eyes. Hannah goes red and tries to hide how insulted she is. Good. Let them feel judged. They had no problem judging Ashley and Chris seconds before. Ashley steps close to him and grabs his bicep while still holding his hand as if to stand in solidarity with him. She even cuddles her face into his arm gently as she says, “Yeah, all we want out of a date is to be with each other. That makes it special already. I guess we just have amazing chemistry. But we understand that most other couples need that whole atmosphere thing.”

Hannah looks like she is going to snap until Matt hugs her close enough her mouth is pressed to his collar. He gives Ashley a pleading look. She shrugs as they continue passed, towards the exit of the fairgrounds. Chris forces the smirk off of his face. She winks at him before Matt and Hannah follow after. That’s his girl! Ashley can be savage and subtly so. Plausible deniability and all that. It’s devious and sexy. It almost makes the money he’s about to waste worth it.

Chris and Ashley decide to split one plate as they aren’t eager to pay the high price of the place Hannah picked out. Surf and turf is easiest cause he likes beef and Ashley like fish. Matt rolls his eyes as Hannah is still looking over the menu. Chris isn’t crazy about the idea since he can eat a lot but knows he can get more after at the fair at half the price. Matt and Hannah will just have to deal with that.

They don’t talk much as they wait. When they do it’s mostly Matt and Ashley telling the other about what’s going on in their lives. Chris and Hannah pipe in here and there but they spend more time listening. Though it would probably be hard for Hannah to talk given just how much she kisses Matt’s hand and cheek (and sneakily as she can his neck twice). Chris is on his phone for a bit until he feels Matt’s unhappy eyes on him and pockets it again. Luckily the food comes out quick and now full mouths can cover the lack of conversation.

It feels lucky up until Hannah scoops up a large portion of her meal. She holds it out to her boyfriend with a smile. She somehow manages to slide even closer to him. “Matty, you’ve just got to try this! It’s amazing!”

“Well, I’m not surprised. You’ve got great taste.”

“I do.” She flutters her lashes when she says it and Chris pauses in eating.

To his shock and disgust Matt doesn’t take the utensil from her but instead he opens his mouth. Hannah sticks her spoon in. Some drips down his chin and Hannah catches it with her finger. After which she holds it out to him as well. Matt takes her finger in his mouth and sucks on it for a long awkward moment. He grabs hold of her hand and slowly pulls it out. Hannah’s eyes glaze over with desire. Chris feels his stomach flip rapidly.

“You’re right. That was delicious,” Matt teases, “My favorite flavor in the world.”

“Matt!” Hannah giggles before gently tapping his nose.

Matt laughs with her, “What? Is it! You know that.”

“Stop,” she whines playfully as he scoops food off his plate as well.

“Alright fine,” he says, a laugh still in his voice. “It was pretty good. Nice and spicy. Here, have some of mine.”

He feeds her just like she did him and she lets out a deep and far too loud moan. She closes her eyes and everything. She sounds incredibly satisfied and Matt looks incredibly pleased. Chris feel incredibly uneasy. He has to swallow hard to stop himself from getting sick. Do they not remember they aren’t alone? He looks down at his food intent to not look at them again until the check comes. Looking at his food he finds for what might be the first time he can’t eat at all. Falling back he drops his fork with a loud clatter. Hannah and Matt jump apart a bit and have the decency to look embarrassed. They slide away from each other a little more and continue their own dinner. Although he still can’t eat so it doesn’t matter much.

“Wow,” he hears Ashley breathe at his side. He faces her instead of their friends. “You’re done? There’s like half a steak left!”

“Just not hungry,” he says focusing solely on her. On Ashley licking butter from her fingers while giving him a suspicious look. Her nose twitches a little like a bunny. She looks him over as if she is trying to decode him. She’s too smart for his bullshit. There’s no way he’ll fool her quick mind or her observant eyes. She has beautiful eyes.

“Okay, spill Mister.” She pokes his stomach and he doubles over in laughter. She laughs too, “What are you hiding?”

“Nothing.” She pokes him again. He grabs her hand to stop her.

“Tell me.” She pokes him with her other hand. He has to grab that one too, “Is our food poisoned or something? Huh?”

“Of course not.” She pulls a bit and he tightens his hold on her, “Obviously I put the poison in the drink as you do.”

“Oh yes, silly me.”

“Unfortunately, I don't remember which cup I put it in.”

“That is unfortunate. I suppose we'll just have to guess then.”

“Fine you guess and we shall see which of us is right and which of us is dead.”

She pulls again and this time he pulls back bringing her closer to him. She is so small. He can easily keep hold of her. He loves to tuck her into his chest and cuddle her until she is curled up and hidden against him. She’ll whisper that she feels safe there in his arms even though he has her trapped. She trusts him.

It’s almost too much to bear. Especially when it’s right after they’ve had sex. Ashley doesn’t give trust out easily. She’s been burned before. She had her fair share of “fake friends” torment her so she didn’t trust it when Chris first showed interest in being her friend. He had to earn her and now that he had he was never letting go. In contrast she trusted him right away when he wanted to be something other than just friends. She fell right into him because this time she trusted him. She made herself vulnerable to him in every way possible. She was open and honest with him in a way she wasn’t with anyone else. That made her even more beautiful.

In this moment he was even more sure. Her slightly red face, her big toothy smile, her shining wide eyes, the way she is breathing a tiny laugh here and there. Ashley is the most unique girl to ever exist and she is his. His heart begins to pound and he wants to run off to some secret corner of the world with Ashley in tow. He wants to smell her, taste her and touch her everything. She does too. He can tell when her eyelids droop and she bites her lower lip. He thinks about taking her lip between his teeth instead. He’s so pathetically in love with her and he is so lucky she wants him back.

He kisses her and she hums in approval. It’s a short kiss and he wants more before he can even take a breath. For that second there is no one else. She is the only thing in his mind. He gets lost in her with a second kiss. She said it as if showing off earlier but that didn’t make what she said untrue. She makes him feel special by just being there. He goes for a third kiss wishing for much more than soft kissing-

“Hey!”

Chris and Ashley turn to face the other couple. Matt is holding up a small black folder. He looks unhappy with Chris again. He knows it’s just him too. There is no way Matt looks that angry over anything Ashley has done. Chris feels a cold stab of anger himself. Hannah is once more tucked under Matt’s arm and practically sitting in his lap. Her hand runs smoothly over his broad chest seemingly without awareness. Chris remembers why he gave up on eating, letting go of Ashley. As if the couple has any right to be put off by them. They might as well have been sucking face and yet feel a right to look uncomfortable at his and Ashley's tame display of affection.

“You two done eating?” Matt looks impatient as he wiggles the check. “Check’s here. Figured we would split it.”

“Unless you want Matt to just take care of it,” Hannah chimes in with smugness. Matt goes pale at the suggestion and Chris almost wants to take her up on it. He’s not that kind of guy though. He notices Hannah makes no move to pay when Matt drops the folder back to the table. Chris is lucky Ashley always pays for her share. He knows it but the reminder he’s got a cool girlfriend is always nice. It’s the one time of the night Hannah’s stare doesn’t bother him. Ashley however fumes over it. Matt leaves the tip for everyone though as if to prove something. It’s also a big tip. Matt doesn’t come from money but he’s generous to the point you would think he does. It makes Chris fume alongside Ashley. They hold back their tongues on their way back to the fairgrounds. They head in the opposite direction then they did before once back and what they find brings an almost evil grin to his face. He turns to Matt and Hannah.

“Do either of you like fair games?”

* * *

Matt has always been good at sports. Despite this though he has not played many fair games in the past. He's never gone for the cliche of winning a girl a stuffed toy because the type of girls he likes to date usually aren't into dates at festivals or fairs. In fact this night might be the only time he has ever done so. To his shock Hannah's eyes light up as they look down the rows of simple games. Some of them do have prizes. He changes his mind in that instant because if Hannah wants a toy then he is getting her one. He should have guessed she is that kind of girl as she loves all aspects of romance.

So Matt shrugs as he answers Chris, “I mean I haven’t played many but sure it looks like fun.”

“Great!” It’s Ashley who answers, not Chris. Matt notices she looks at Hannah although she isn’t paying attention before grabbing Chris’s hand and dragging him into the crowd. Hannah snaps out of some daze to grab his arm and pull him after them. The girls must really be hoping to get a trinket if they’re this excited.

Chris and Ashley are already standing in line at a table when Hannah and Matt catch up to them and join the line. They approach a table with what look like basic mostly harmless looking rifles. Matt can't imagine they do much real damage. They probably only shoot BB pellets or tiny darts. Honestly he could probably break one over his knee. There are four guns and at the back of the little tent four targets. It's unneeded as neither Ashley nor Hannah make a move to take a gun. They instead let the guys behind their group take the other two spots. So it's just Chris and Matt getting ready to shoot. There's something heavy about that.

“Alright gentlemen,” the man behind the counter says once each guy has given him their money, “You get five shots, you hit the middle three times you get one of the prizes.”

The two guys off to the side don't seem to be listening choosing to insult each other in the most friendly way they can instead. Matt and Chris are paying attention though. That heavy weight over their heads doubles. The guy steps to the side even more so than he already was as the idiots next to them start firing without thinking.

Matt takes a second and notices Chris does the same. They stand, guns raised, as if they are waiting for the other to fire first. Matt tries to indicate to Chris that he can go first. Chris shrugs so Matt takes aim. He fires forgetting he only has a few shots. He wastes the first darts quickly hitting the round board nowhere near the center. What the hell? He'd been aiming directly at it! He looks at Hannah. Her smile hasn’t changed so she still has complete faith in him. He gives her a wink and takes aim again. He's about to shoot when he hears a single shot next to him. There is a slight pause before a second shot is heard. Another short pause then three shots in fast succession.

Chris has fired his gun and Matt's eyes snap to his target. They widen as he sees four of Chris's five shots landed right in the center of the painted wood. Even the one he had missed is close to the middle circle.

Chris lowers his gun and smiles at the rest of the group. He puts on a terrible southern drawl as he says, “I don't reckon those ruffians will come 'round these parts no more.”

Ashley laughs as she goes to his side, “Thanks Sheriff Dipstick, I was so scared of the terrifying planks ransacking my horse and wagon on my way out of town.”

Matt focuses on the target again hoping to ignore them but they haven't moved so are still in close proximity to him. He sees out of the corner of his eye Chris bow and tip an imaginary hat as Ashley retakes his hand to hold against up her cheek then pretends to swoon, “Oh my hero. How can I ever repay you?”

“Well now, a cowboy would never turn down a kiss from a pretty little lady.”

He can't see it but Matt can hear the smirk in Ashley's voice when she says, “Oh, I've got a lot more for you than just a kiss.”

He blames his next missed shot on hearing her say that. His dart sticks in much closer to the target this time but he only has two more shots. He needs three for a prize. He looks Hannah’s way again to see a small frown has replaced her smile. She looks at the toys and full on pouts. He has no hope of winning her one so he doesn’t think as he takes his last shots. He doesn’t hit a bulls-eye until his last shot. He did better than the chumps next to him. Though Chris is the only one who actually won.

“Hey, looks like you’re getting the hang of it!” the man says to Matt, “Wanna give it another try?”

Matt thinks about it. He could probably hit the target now that he’s done it once. In fact he’s sure he could. He looks at the group watching him and sighs. He’s not making everyone wait around for him, especially if he loses again. He’s disappointed enough already. He drops the gun far too hard onto the counter. The guy scrambles for it and Matt feels bad for a moment. Until that is the man turns to Chris.

“That was some nice shooting, kid,” he says once he knows Matt’s gun is safe, “If you can make two more, you can pick from the bigger ones.”

Chris looks at Ashley who is already looking over the prizes. Matt notices the way he smiles before he turns back, “No thanks, I don’t want to carry some giant toy around all night.”

“Alright,” the man seems annoyed he couldn’t trick either guy out of more money. He forces his fake smile on again as Ashley tells him which toy she wants. He hands her a tiny stuffed kitten. She hugs it to her cheat before hugging Chris. Matt focuses back on Hannah who is no longer frowning or pouting. Her gaze is stony as she stares at Ashley.

“Let’s play another game,” Hannah says a bit too loudly. Ashley and Chris look at her and him. No one has a chance to answer though. Hannah grabs his arm and is dragging him off again to another game table. He takes the lead after a moment. He wants to make sure whatever game they play next also offers prizes. She wants one and it’s his job to get her one.

He spots a baseball toss game and tries not to run to it. Football is Matt’s game of choice but he’s team quarterback so he knows he’s got a good throwing arm. The toys at this booth are also a lot nicer than the ones at the last tent. Hannah seems to realize that too and once again her eyes shine. Matt gets in line immediately. It actually takes a second for Chris and Ashley to join them he rushed over so quickly.

“Ooh a baseball throw!” Ashley says, clapping her hands, “I want to play this one too!”

Matt snorts and relaxes a moment. He’s feeling confident now so the tension in his body has faded somewhat. He smiles back at her as he says, “Yeah right, Ash! You couldn’t hit the side of a building.”

“Hey!” she replies with a laugh in her voice, “I so could!”

“No way! Not even if you were three feet away.”

“Says you!”

“Yeah,” Chris interjects awkwardly, “But even if you could it doesn’t really matter. We’re hitting bottle stacks not buildings.”

“Oh,” Hannah says as they get closer, “Are you playing this game too, Chris?”

Matt winces. The judgement in Hannah’s voice is not well-hidden. He loves her but she can be condescending at times. Ashley’s face drops to a hint of a scowl as Chris gives Hannah a glare but there is no real malice behind it. It’s more like how Matt would glare at his own little sister or maybe the way he would at Ashley. Other than that no one comments as they make it to the front of the line.

This counter is set-up in the traditional two towers of bottles with a few baseballs on each side. Matt excitedly stands in front of one group. More reluctantly and with another small glare in the direction of Hannah and Ashley, Chris stands by the other pile of balls. Matt meets his eyes. Chris smiles but there is something overly cocky and smug about it. Matt will not let that put him off though. He’s great at sports. He can do this.

“You get two balls,” the guys explains after he’s taken their money, “Knock all the bottles down, get a prize.”

Again he waits for Chris to go first but again he stays still for the moment. He’s looking between the ball and the tower as if thinking very hard about it. Matt eventually gets impatient waiting and feels the line behind him is getting that way too. So he leans back and throws the first ball as fast and hard as he can. It crashes into the stack and more than half the bottles fall.

He hears Hannah cheer, “Way to go, Matty!”

He beams at her as she waves at him. She’s cheering loudly even though she and Ashley are not far from him. She waves at him as if he can’t see her with her joy on her face. He picks up the second ball and takes aim again. He only has to knock down two bottles. Confidence pumps through him as he throws his ball right at them. It slams right in between them and yet only the left bottles fly back. One on the right skids along the table, tips slightly and then settles still standing upright.

“Oh that’s a shame,” the man running the game says and clearly doesn’t mean it. “You’ve got a great arm though. I’ll bet you’ll get it on the next throw.”

He’s just trying to swindle money from people. Matt has already put a lot of money out tonight and doesn’t have much left to waste. He isn’t going to keep tossing money at some stupid game until he wins. Well, he wasn’t going to anyway. Until he looks over and as the man is re-stacking the bottles on his side the other stack gets hit by a ball at a weird angle. All the right side bottles tumble onto the ground a moment later the whole thing goes down.

“Whoo! Go, Chris!” Ashley cheers much like Hannah did. He smiles a bit sheepishly her way with his hands in his pockets. Matt looks between the bottles, Ashley and her boyfriend in turn.

“Wow. Lucky throw,” he says to Chris although he can hear the shock in his voice.

Chris shrugs. It’s his nonchalant demeanor that gets Matt to slam more dollars onto the table as Ashley goes to stand in Chris’ place. The man has only just finished stacking the bottles and come their way before Matt throws again. He hits the stack but his anger has thrown off his aim. He only hits four of the ten bottles. He ignores the man picking up his money and concentrates very hard on his next toss. He zeros in on the stack even tuning out Hannah who is cheering him on again. He focuses his throw before hurling the ball at the tower. It did nothing as again one bottle is left standing after it hits the stack. Matt lets out a loud, annoyed grunt and smacks the table.

Matt sees Ashley hadn’t hit the tower at all but Chris passes his toy to her so it doesn’t matter, The man focuses back on him as he says, “So close again. I’ll bet you’d get it on the next try.”

Matt genuinely considers giving up more money for a third try but decides against it. He’s getting worse at this, not better. He’s better off trying his luck somewhere else. Hannah is at his side in less than a second.

“Wow, that was really great, honey.” She looks disappointed but there is also some pride behind her eyes. She’s still impressed with him even if he didn’t win. For a short moment that’s enough for him. Then he hears Chris saying, “Seriously, Ash? You got another plush cat doll? You know they have other stuff, right?”

“I do. I just like kittens,” she answers with a giggle, “I call them my “cats from Chris” collection.”

Matt’s jaw clenches at the implication. These are apparently not the first toys Chris has won for her. Apparently she has a whole goddamn collection of them. Suddenly Hannah’s sad face bothers him. He wants her to smile like she had been all night until they started playing these dumb games. He wants to impress her, be the boyfriend he knows he can be. If it means throwing all his money away on one night then he will do that dammit!

Matt scans the various games set up all around the area. There has to be something here that he’s guaranteed to win. His aim is off that day so something else. That takes most of the games out of the running but he knows he can find something. It takes a bit of searching and walking around for him to finally see what he wants. At the end of the row is a strongman test! Lucky him too as he can tell from there that game has the best prizes. Matt is in top shape there is no way in hell he can lose this game.

He almost drags Hannah as he races toward it. He isn’t even sure if Ashley and Chris follow. Matt’s only goal is to get to that game and win his girlfriend a prize. That’s what boyfriends do. He wants to be the absolute best boyfriend for her. If Chris can pull this off then Matt can too. There is almost no line when they get there. People stand around, clearly too intimidated to try their hand at it. Matt walks right up to the vendor though not at all put off. He’s found his game. The man simply smiles at Matt as he reaches out for the mallet.

“You think you’ve got some muscle on ya, son?”

Matt looks back at Hannah to see Chris and Ashley have joined her. She looks both curious and excited to watch him easily dominate this game. Matt winks at her before he turns back, “I know I do!”

“Alright then,” the guy holds out his hand for his cash. Matt hands the money over quickly and grabs the handle of the mallet.

“Whoo, you can do it, sweetie!”

“Yeah! Let’s go Matt, let’s go!” He smiles as Ashley joins in on the cheering. He smirks to himself when he hears them clapping their hands for him.

He takes one more glance back. He locks eyes with Chris for half a second as he sees the other guy is paying very close attention. He almost fumbles but he looks to Hannah right after that and it gives him all the drive he needs to do this. He lifts the tool up over his shoulder then he swings down with everything he has. It slams against the long plank of wood and the small marker rises toward the bell. It shoots high and for an exhilarating moment Matt is sure he’s done it.

However it comes just short then drops down dragging Matt’s confidence with it. It had been an inch away at the most! No! He had this! The guy gives Matt the same nonsense the others had but he barely hears him. He drops the mallet at his feet and storms back to the group in a huff. Both Ashley and Hannah look sorry for him but Hannah also looks disappointed he didn’t get her a toy. Ashley has two and she has none. It’s not the absolute measure of which girl has the better boyfriend but it feels that way. Matt looks away. He sees Chris, still looking at the game. His only solace is knowing there is no way Chris could possibly win. Or so he thinks up to the point Chris walks forward to take the mallet himself.

Matt gawks at him as does Hannah. Ashley is the only one who doesn’t look shocked as she is smiling fondly instead. All Matt can do is stare though. Chris doesn’t actually think if Matt can’t win this game, he can. Chris isn’t lacking in strength but he certainly can’t compare to Matt when it comes to physical fitness. Yet Matt knows even before Chris takes his swing that he is going to win. He isn’t sure how but Chris is going to hit that bell when Matt couldn’t. Even knowing that doesn’t take away the shock when the marker hits the bell with a deep ring.

“Yeah! Alright, Chris!” Ashley cheers as Matt and Hannah stand there dumbfounded.

How was that possible? Did that actually happen? Matt can’t wrap his head around it. It seems like it must be against nature. He doesn’t fully snap out of his confused daze until Chris comes back over to them with a medium sized teddy bear in hand. However he doesn’t hand the toy over to Ashley like with the others. He presents it to Hannah instead!

“Here,” he says with an affectionate, very familial smile, “Ashley has a shitton of these. I’m sure she doesn’t mind if you have one.”

Hannah’s face breaks into a huge smile as she takes it from him. She hugs it close to her chest. It’s bigger than the two stuffed animals Ashley has but she doesn’t look upset. In fact she looks almost victorious. Once she’s done hugging her bear Hannah gives Chris a side hug he returns. There’s nothing romantic about this. Chris might as well be Hannah’s brother. Matt’s alpha male instincts still take over though. He feels outdone, embarrassed, inadequate, ashamed. He’s lost every game they played.

It feels like he’s also lost some bigger game he didn’t know they were playing.

* * *

“So,” Chris says watching Matt deliberately hold Hannah too intimately. They are done with their games for the night. Matt had looked like he was about to snap after the last game so they stopped playing. “We’ve got about an hour until they light up the tree. We should probably do whatever else we want to before it’s all closed down for the night.”

“Oh,” Ashley chimes up, “There’s supposed to be a really cool winter maze. It’s all made out of ice walls and covered in fake snow.”

“That sounds cold,” Hannah answers. She’s still holding the bear he gave her though once the thrill of getting a gift won for her wore off she went back to her usual self. That is to say as picky and judgmental as she’s always been. Chris rolls his eyes. Only Hannah would complain about the cold at a winter themed event. Maybe if she had worn something to cover up her thighs then she’d be warmer.

“Come on, babe,” Matt says with a look at Ashley, “Don’t worry I’ll keep you warm.”

Hannah sighs, “Okay, honey.”

Chris sees Ashley roll her eyes as they begin to walk that way. Matt and Hannah catch up after a second and they’re all walking as a group in no time. It feels like the only moment of the night they’re in sync. It’s been a very long night. He’s more than ready to leave at this point, Christmas tree lighting be damned. He knows that’s the part both girls are most looking forward to though so he keeps his mouth shut.

“Should we put our toys in the truck?” Ashley asks Hannah out of nowhere, “I don’t want to lose any of them. Not that it matters, Chris has won me a lot of these.”

Hannah makes a face as if insulted and Matt let’s out another deep, angry sigh. Then looking like he just can’t take it anymore Matt says, “Damn man! I can’t believe how lucky you were at those fair games.”

Now Chris feels insulted by Matt’s implication but knows the perfect remedy to come out on top. He smiles at Ashley who laughs sweetly then turns back to Matt, “It wasn’t luck, it was all skill.”

“What?” Hannah asks. She and Matt both look confused and Chris gets to feel superior.

“Fair games are rigged,” he explains, “You just have to figure out how then you can beat ‘em every time.”

“What do you mean?” Matt asks still not having totally grasped what he was saying. Ashley bites her lip to hide another laugh.

“Okay like the rifle game. The aiming was off on the guns. Once I figured that out then I just had to adjust for it. The bottle games are almost always the same. The bottles are different weights and that throws the balance off. Usually you just have to come at it from an angle after you know which is the heaviest.”

“And the strength test?” Matt almost demands. Chris even flinches a bit.

“The tension in the spring is set to lessen the impact. You just have to figure out which pressure point will net you the most momentum. If you hit it in the middle most of the energy will disperse over a larger surface and you’ll lose power. It’s mostly angles with this kind of stuff. The balance is off so you have to correct it.”

Hannah thinks for a second while Matt fumes next to her, “If they don’t want people to win then why don’t they just break the guns or glue the bottles down or something?”

“Well, they can’t make the games unwinnable. If no one ever won then no one would ever play. They just try to make sure most people lose. But you either have to know the tricks or get lucky.” He shrugs, “You don’t spend most of your formative years with a conman like Josh and not pick up on a few things.”

“Oh,” Hannah says looking away.

Ashley giggles as she grabs his hand with her free hand, her one arm dedicated to holding onto her toys. “Don’t be silly, Chris. You still had to know how they were rigged and that’s impressive! Right, Hannah? Isn’t he just so clever?”

“I guess,” Hannah says playing with the toy in her hands. He feels bad for a moment because she looks sad. But then she continues, “I mean I’m sure if Matt knew that he would have won.”

“Yeah,” Ashley almost snaps, “But he didn’t. Chris did. And he figured them out all on his own. Chris is really, really smart!”

“I’m just saying, Matt could have done it too.”

“Maybe. Though Chris has been doing it for a while. Just knowing that might not have helped. No offense, Matt.”

“Well, Chris could have told him.”

“Chris isn’t obligated to tell Matt anything.”

“It just seems unfair and selfish.”

“Unfair?!” Ashley does snap this time coming to a halt, “Selfish?!”

The rest of them stop only a foot or so away. Chris looks back at his girlfriend strangely. She is irrationally angry. Her eyes are almost wild and she is breathing heavy. She glares directly at Hannah as she says, “Did you really just call my boyfriend unfair and selfish because he didn’t let Matt know the games were fixed?!”

“Yes!” Hannah yells back, “Because it is! He cheated and that was the only reason he won all those games and Matt didn’t!”

“Matt was only trying to win because of you!” Ashley points a hard finger at her, “You’ve been making him jump through hoops all night! I didn’t even know Matt owned a fancy blazer and dress boots. But it’s not like he can wear jeans to an outdoor event. Then you go off on your bullying, trying to get him to take skating lessons with you! You made him pay for dinner when you’re so spoiled you could have covered all four of us. And you got mad at him for daring to hang out with his best friend during our favorite time of the year! We had one drink together, Hannah! Loosen your goddamn leash!”

“Ha!” Hannah barks though she looks like she might cry. Chris is torn between standing up for his girlfriend and telling her to lay off someone who is essentially his sister. He looks at Matt to find him having the same internal struggle.

“You wish Chris treated you as well as Matt treats me! And you know maybe he would if he was with a girl who was worth it!”

“Excuse me?!” Ashley screams and by this point people are looking at them. Chris feels shame well up inside him but still has no clue what to do. “At least Chris is having fun! Every time I look at Matt, he’s so uncomfortable! He’s basically afraid of you! You see, I don’t treat my boyfriend like he’s a doll I can dress up and make do whatever I want him to! I actually treat my boyfriend like a person! I respect Chris!”

“I respect Matt!”

“Yeah right! You know if I knew you treated him this badly I wouldn’t have agreed to this.”

Hannah rolls her eyes dramatically, “Oh my god! Could you be anymore jealous?”

“Jealous?” Ashley looks taken aback as she stutters, “I’m- I- I’m not- I’m not jealous!”

Chris heart stops and his stomach drops. Ashley is a very good liar. She doesn’t stutter. She did so as a conscious choice. Hannah is right and Ashley is trying to hide that she is. He knows her too well though. Most people are fooled by Ashley’s deceit but Chris is not one of those people. He thinks he might cry. He didn’t realize until then that all his fears about Matt and Ashley were completely superficial. He had never actually believed it. Not like he did now. He can’t watch her and Hannah anymore. He turns to Matt. Matt looks sheepish. He isn’t watching the girls either. Chris is perceptive enough to realize Ashley’s point is also not completely untrue.

“Yes, you are,” Hannah continues, “You’ve been watching us all night! In fact both of you have! Sorry your relationship sucks but that’s not on us! Though I bet Chris would be ten times the boyfriend he is if he wasn’t dating a pretentious bitch!”

“Hey!” Chris barks as her statement has pushed him over the edge, “Don’t talk to her like that!”

Matt steps forward, “What? Hannah can't yell at Ashley but Ashley can yell at Hannah? Is that what you're saying, asshole?”

“Yes! Because Hannah is being a brat! Ashley is trying to look out for you since she's, you know, a good person!”

“Are you saying Hannah isn't a good person?!”

“I'm saying Hannah is being judgmental and stuck up! She IS being a bully! To all of us!”

Matt gets right up in his face and terror shoots through Chris. Matt is shorter but that doesn't mean much as his arms are still long enough to punch his face in. He looks into Chris's eyes with an intense, stony stare.

“I dare you to keep talking! Go on open your stupid mouth again! Give me a reason to knock your teeth out!”

“Matt!” Ashley snaps stepping between them, “Stop it!”

“No! I want to hear what he's thinking. It can’t be too much!” Chris says as he moves Ashley out of the way. It's not a hard push in the least. There is nothing threatening about it. He isn't rough with her. He doesn't yell. In fact he barely puts his hands on her to lead her to stand behind him.

That doesn't stop Matt from shoving him away from Ashley, shouting, “Don't touch her!”

Chris falls back and onto the ground, the wind knocked out of him. He catches himself soon enough to not smash his head on the ground as he goes down. Matt steps into his space and looms over him, ready to attack. Then practically spitting the words at him says, “You hear that, you motherfucker?! Don't you ever touch her again!”

“Oh my god,” Ashley says dropping her toys to kneel by him, “Baby, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he says sitting up, “Yeah I’m fine.”

“Guess I didn’t hit you hard enough then!”

“Seriously?” Ashley shouts, standing again. From the look on her face it's clear she cannot believe Matt's balls anymore than Chris can, “Are you telling my boyfriend he can't touch me? After you've been basically feeling Hannah up all night? I can't believe you!”

Ashley looks between them then to Hannah before she sighs angrily, “This whole night was a huge mistake.”

With that Ashley stomps off through the crowd of people pretending not to be watching them. Chris scrambles to his feet just as Matt starts to follow her. He grabs the back of Matt's blazer and yanks as hard as he can. Matt stumbles as Chris hurries around him. Hannah helps Matt steady himself so Chris takes the opportunity to run after Ashley.

* * *

Things are quiet as Matt and Hannah find a place to sit and just think for awhile. They are sitting on the benches by the snowman building contest. None of them are very good as the fake snow does not stick as well as real snow probably does. He’s never seen real snow. Not in California where he’s lived all his life. Hannah has though and she doesn’t seem very impressed with the display in front of them. He can only guess this isn’t the way she thought the night would go for any of them. They haven't spoken since Chris and Ashley ran off. In hindsight Chris had done Matt a favor by preventing him from chasing after Ashley. There is no way Hannah would have approved.

Or so he thinks right up until Hannah turns his way to say, “You could have gone after Ashley, you know?”

“What?” Matt asks, too shocked to attempt covering up how he feels.

“I know you were going to follow her until Chris stopped you,” she clarifies, eyes on the stuffed toy Chris had won her, “You could have if you wanted to.”

Matt keeps his eyes on her but she doesn't look up. Generally Hannah is a bad liar but there are times she is hard to read. These few moments where she closes in on herself and those emotions that usually overflow stay at a low boil are difficult for Matt. He likes to know what he should be doing. He hates trying to guess at it.

“You can-” she bites her lip, “You can do what you want Matt. You don't have to listen to me all the time if you don't want to.”

“Hannah…”

“That's how you feel, right?” It sounds like she might start to cry. “That I boss you around and bully you.”

“Of course not!” The crack in his voice gives him away. It isn't that he has an issue with doing what Hannah wants. He doesn't. He is a man who thrives on direction. He is a team player and always willing to bend to the needs of others.

But…

“Though I mean,” he starts slowly opening a door he tries hard to keep locked tight, “We do a lot of stuff you want to. I mean not all the time but most of the time.”

He sighs as she finally looks up and he can see the tears in her eyes. She looks crushed and he considers backpedaling. It's too late though if there is one thing Washingtons are known for it is their stubbornness. So with a deep breath he continues.

“I like to make you happy, Han. I really, really do. But sometimes…” She shifts closer and he can feel she is trying to stay open minded and listen to him. “Can't we go to a game every once and awhile? Or maybe the batting cages? Would it be so awful if we went to an Outback Steakhouse or even a Red Lobster instead of a big fancy place? Couldn't we go for a run on the beach like we used to? Couldn't we still be, you know, friends?”

“You don't think we're friends?” God she looks so broken when she's sad.

“Well, no. Not like we used to be and not-” he really shouldn't say it. And yet, “Not like Chris and Ashley are still friends.”

She looks taken aback but still she moves a little closer, “What?”

“I love taking you out and being the boyfriend who sweeps you off your feet. But sometimes I miss my friend Hannah and it would be nice to hang out again sometimes.”

Hannah's face shifts to confusion. She shakes her head as she asks, “What do you mean?”

Matt sighs, “I mean since we got together it's been all romance and sex. Which is great! So great! This is the best relationship I've ever been in. But I miss the old us. I miss when we were more comfortable. I miss us just hanging out cause we want to. I don't always like the pressure of constantly trying to impress you. Sometimes I just want to chill out with my girl.”

“Why didn't you tell me that?”

“Because you're- you're amazing! And I want you to feel amazing! All the time! Always!”

“Oh Matt,” she says as she puts her free hand on his cheek, “You make me feel amazing just by being you! I love how you treat me, I really, really do! But we're both in this relationship. What you want matters. This isn't just about me and what I want. What's the point of us being together if I don't make you feel amazing too?”

“You do though!” he assures her, grabbing her hand with his two, “I always feel that way when I'm with you.”

“You do?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why-”

He kisses her to ease her mind before the sums up best he can, “I just want things simple sometimes, Han.”

Hannah laughs a little though she looks a little uncomfortable before she says, “Then how about next time we go out we throw on a couple Jerseys and catch a hockey match? The city team just started its season I think.”

“You mean that?”

“Of course!”

Matt puts his arm around her and hugs her close to him, “I promise we can bring some nicer clothes along too. We can change and then I'll take you somewhere great for dinner.”

“Matthew Taylor, that sound absolutely perfect!”

“You're perfect.”

Hannah blushes at that and then with a coy look she asks, “You still feel like getting all romantic with me later tonight though, right?”

Blood pounds in his ears as desire overtakes his mind, so with a charming smirk he answers, “On don't worry, doll face, I have a lot of plans for you later.”

Hannah giggles as they huddle together, trying to enjoy the lame contest. Matt feels happy enough in that moment. Hannah has soothed his heart. There is a weight that has slipped from his shoulders and he can loosen his muscles the barest amount.

* * *

Chris finds Ashley at the hot beverage stand again. She is sitting on the bench nearby with another drink in her hands. She isn't drinking it and is instead just staring at it with a frown. He still feels worthless after everything that went down with Matt and Hannah but seeing her face makes that seem meaningless. Ashley's happiness is far more important to him than anyone else, including his own. So swallowing his own anxieties and insecurities he joins her on the bench.

She flinches when he gets near but relaxes when she sees it's him. Though she glances around in worry. When she realizes it's just the two of them she sighs in relief. He feels a little better knowing that she has no apparent desire to see Matt. Not that she looks happy now that she is in his company but it's something after that massive blow to his ego.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“More hot cider?”

“Tea. I just needed something to help steady my nerves.”

He nods as they fall quiet. They sit in silence for a few torturous seconds. He dares to slide closer to her. She looks at him then away but doesn't acknowledge him any more than that. Some tension leaves his body as she allows him to almost close the distance between them. Ashley lets out a small groan after another minute or so.

“You and Matt are always going to hate each other, aren't you?” She keeps her eyes focused on her drink.

Chris is taken aback, wondering where she got that impression, “I don't- I don't hate Matt.”

Ashley sags against the bench. “You might as well hate him. I doubt things would be all that different if you did.”

Whatever peace he felt has abandoned him at her words. “I'm sorry.”

“For what?”

Chris doesn't really know so he says the first stupid thing that comes to his head, “That I'm not like Matt.”

Ashley looks at him like he's started speaking another language. Her eyes are both shocked and frustrated, “What are you talking about?”

It's Chris’ turn to sigh, “Look I'm not dumb, Ash. You can fool them but you can't fool me.”

She tenses up, immediately defensive, “And what does that mean?”

“It means I know what Hannah said got to you. I know you're jealous of her and Matt. I'm sorry I can't skate or take you out to nice dinners or know how to dress nicely. I'm sorry I'm not as good of a boyfriend as Matt is.”

Ashley scoffs, rolling her eyes, “Chris, I’m really not in the mood for one of your pity parties so can you please just stop?”

“Pity party?” He holds back on snapping at her. He’s gone from hurt to mad. Sometimes Ashley being blunt is refreshing and sometimes it’s annoying. “You think me feeling bad that you would rather be with another guy is a pity party? Are you being serious right now?!”

“I don't want to be with Matt!” Unlike him, she makes no attempt to mask or downplay her anger, “I love you, Chris! You know that I love you. You know how much I love you. And,” She holds her hand up to stop him as he tries to interject, “You know how much you turn me on so don't even think about going there. How many times do I have to tell you this? You are the person I want to be with. You and only you and no one else but you.”

“Then what's with all the jealousy?” Chris tries to be genuine and kind but he can't hold back his venom with how trying the night has been. He can’t take the tension anymore. They can’t keep living with this over their heads. He does know that she loves him and that she thinks he’s sexy. It just doesn’t stop whatever the hell is happening with them and Matt.

“I’m not jealous of Matt and Hannah's relationship! And I don't want to be with Matt!”

“Then what's the issue?”

“I just miss him, okay?!”

The passion and sadness behind it stops his heart. Chris sags heavily and asks softly, “What?

Ashley wilts a little and he’s afraid she might cry, “I miss him.”

“Matt?”

Ashley turns from him and sets her drink on the bench next to her. She hasn't taken a sip since he sat down. She looks colder without it and in pure instinct he slides closer. He wraps his arm around her and to his honest surprise she snuggles into him. He pulls her close to him because she feels cold and she looks sad. With a kiss on her head he tries to contain himself as he asks, “What do you mean?”

She lets out a sad noise that is almost a whine. “Chris, you and Matt pretty obviously don't like each other.”

“I don't hate Matt.”

“But you don't like Matt. Right?”

Chris stays quiet. He doesn't like Matt. After this night he likes Matt even less. He thinks about lying to her but he's too tired to even try. She wouldn't believe it anyway.

“Right,” she continues when he says nothing, “And, well, please don't get upset with me. I know she's basically like your little sister but,” she takes a deep breath, “I really don't like Hannah.”

“Why?” he asks feeling like a hypocrite. She didn't ask him to explain why he doesn't like Matt. Still the stab of protectiveness that hits him is too strong to ignore.

Ashley shrugs, “She’s annoying and obnoxious.”

That's all the explanation she gives and he decides not to push. It’s not exactly a lie. Instead he wonders aloud, “Why did you want to go on a double date with her and Matt then?”

“Isn't that obvious?”

Chris fights a smile and a laugh. He doesn’t want to mock her, “You weren't actually hoping the we would bond tonight and suddenly everything would be all roses and cupcakes, were you?”

“No,” she says with a blush while stretching the word out, “I just thought… maybe a night out would ease all our minds. Get us to where we could all at least be content with each other and not awkward when we’re together. That we'd at least kind of be friends. That things didn’t feel like we were all wishing the other two would break up.”

“You and Matt could hang out,” Chris chuckles, hugging her tightly to him, “You're so ridiculous. Ashley, I don’t have any issue with you and Matt hanging out and I know you don’t have the best opinion of her but I’m sure Hannah doesn’t either.”

Ashley looks timid as she looks away, “I know you don’t. But that doesn’t make it not weird.”

“How so?”

“I don’t know,” she whines, “It just feels like we can’t talk about this with each other. Every time you or Hannah come up things get… weird. Awkward and quiet and just- Matt and I have never been like that. Things with us have always been easy, low stress. Now it feels like there are all these rules to our friendship. Being friends with him is harder than it used to be.”

“Does Matt know you feel like this?” Chris asks wrapping his other arm around her too.

Ashley smiles almost sadly at him, “I don’t think Matt would understand. He’s not- Matt’s great-”

“Ash, it’s just me.”

Ashley sighs, “Trying to explain abstract concepts to Matt would be just as hard as explaining rocket science to him. He wouldn’t get it.”

Chris has to force himself to say what he says next. “So you’re not even going to let him try?”

“He won’t understand.”

“You don’t know that.”

Ashley looks up at him strangely. He can’t believe he is saying it. He can’t believe after the night they had he is giving Matt the benefit of the doubt. He’s tempted to let it go. Matt and Ashley’s friendship is their business. He isn’t required to defend Matt. However Chris does feel more than required to support Ashley. She looks so defeated in his arms. She had been hopeful something good would come from tonight and she was let down. He can’t stand it. He can’t stand the idea of taking her home and letting her go to sleep feeling like the night was a failure. She’s unhappy. He wants her to be happy. In this moment he can’t make her happy. But Matt could. Matt could make her happy. He loves her enough to accept that and as if he’s been shocked with the truth, his fears begin to fade away.

So with a sigh he says, “I think you’re selling Matt short.”

Ashley leans her head on his shoulder, still cuddled into him, “What do you mean?”

“I mean he clearly cares a lot about you, Ashley. He put up with me just as much as you put up with Hannah and he certainly didn’t do it for her sake. I think that Matt might understand all this a lot better than you’re giving him credit for. He wants this whole thing to work too.” He brushes hair from her eyes behind her ear. “Don’t you think talking to Matt would be easier than trying to trick everyone into getting along?”

Ashley moans in agitation. She pouts like a child and tries to curl up and disappear in his chest, “Why are you always right?”

Chris smirks and whispers into her hair, “I’m not always right.”

“You’re right a lot though,” she says hugging him back finally, “I should listen to you more.”

“You really should. I’m full of sage wisdom and fortune cookie proverbs.”

“Is that right?” she asks playfully as she plays with the collar of his sweater, giving him a look that says she’s totally smitten with him. She knows how hard this was for him and appreciates him for it. It’s nice to feel she loves him the way he loves her.

“Girl, I could be an honest to goodness psychic if I wanted.”

“Really?” she asks and he nods. Her gaze darkens, “Okay let’s test that. Where do you see me later on tonight?”

Chris smirks, turning red at the sensual tone of her voice. He hopes that she’s saying what it sounds like she is saying. “Depends. Is your dad gonna be home tonight?”

She shakes her head slowly. “He’s on the night shift. He won’t be back until seven tomorrow.”

“Well, then I see you tucked snugly into bed for a good night’s rest.”

“That doesn’t sound right to me,” she teases with a suspicious look.

“No that’s right,” he assures her in a slow, deep voice, nipping at the edge of her ear before he says, “Cause you’re gonna need all that rest once I’m done with you.”

Ashley giggles and playfully tries to pull away but he tightens his hold, “Alright, I guess you can tell the future!”

They giggle for a minute before kissing again. She presses her hand to the back of his neck and he can feel the heat pulsing off her. Her other hand digs into his shirt to hold him closer to her as she deepens their kiss. Being worried about Matt was stupid. They way Ashley kisses him makes it clear how she feels about him. The way she clings to him and the way she burns under his touch is maddening. It's as if he leaves heat behind every place he touches her, marking her as his. She melts into him as in love as a person can be. Best of all though she opened her heart to him. The hottest thing about Ashley is how much she trusts him to protect her and help her. That shows love more than any fancy date night could.

Things are getting far too heated between them for a public place. As much as Chris would love to spend the time left until the tree lighting making out with Ashley, he knows it's not what she should be doing. He pulls away reluctantly. There will be more to enjoy later.

“I think it’s time we find Matt and Hannah.”

She sighs, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Ashley pulls herself away from him and he helps her to her feet. Hand in hand and feeling the best they have all night Chris and Ashley set off to find the other couple.

* * *

Matt feels better after his talk with Hannah. Most of the knots in his stomach are loose. Not all of them though. Because there is still the other thing. The thing that still creeps under his skin. The thing that has been bothering him all night. The Chris thing.

No. Chris isn't the problem. After everything Matt is ready to admit the problem is him. Him and Ashley. He didn't expect this to be so hard for him. He can't stand it though. He can’t stand seeing her the way she is when she’s with Chris. Ashley was shy from the day she was born according to her mom. Matt hadn’t become a lover until he was well into his school years according to his mom. Their families went to the same Catholic Church though so their moms had decided the best way to socialize their babies was by putting them together. So every Sunday after Mass their moms met up and Ashley and Matt were placed in the same playpen. Despite their hang ups the two were fast friends.

He doesn't like seeing her with Chris. He isn't a prude! He isn't that guy who demands a girl he cares about be pure until her wedding night no matter what their priests told him. Matt knows he is a sinner in that regard and can guess Ashley is too. He doesn't think there is anything wrong with Ashley having sex. Sure, he doesn't like knowing later that night she and Chris will probably be-

It wasn't the problem though.

Ashley and Chris were so different than Matt and Hannah. They were very different couples. Because they were just such different people. Because Ashley was…

... different than Matt.

Age had finally caught up to them. Slowly but it had. This friendship had survived Catholic School forcing distance between the boys and the girls. It had fought against the clique nature of High School with nerds and jocks. It had made it through the separation of college when they got into different types of schools. Was it really going to be their love lives that tore apart everything they had built together over all of these years? This was the thing their friendship couldn't weather? It seems so small.

It isn't though. Your romantic partner is an important part of your life and it was the most fundamental difference between him and her. When it came down to it, he might not like Chris enough for her and she might not like Hannah enough for him. It was a simple truth. That didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell.

“Hey,” Matt hears as if he’d called Ashley there by thinking of her. She is standing at the foot of the bleachers with Chris behind her.

“Hey,” he says, standing to walk down to them, Hannah in tow. She says nothing even when they have reached the other couple. Although neither does Chris.

“So,” Ashley says with a glance at Hannah, “The tree lighting is still a while away.”

Matt checks his watch, “Yeah a good forty-five minutes before it starts.

Then they are quiet. Matt notices Chris look between them all and then clear his throat loudly, “Hey, Hannah, how about you and me go grab a couple seats?”

She gives him a weird look. Matt doesn't blame her because if Ashley wasn't giving him the look she is he would have found it weird as well. It takes Chris tilting his head at Matt and Ashley and glancing their way with wide eyes for her to understand. She perks up and says, “Oh! Oh yeah. Let's go and do that.”

So with a hand on her shoulder Chris leads her away from them. He and Ashley watch until they are completely gone from sight. Even after, they hang out, still and silent. She keeps her eyes in the direction their dates went but he looks around for a bit. Off to the left side he spots the maze she mentioned earlier.

“Hey,” he says and calls her attention. She shifts her gaze to him. “Wanna take a quick walk through the ice maze? We'll probably be done in time for the show.”

“Oh,” she says clearly caught off guard, “Yeah let's do that.”

He motions for her to go first as if he’s scared to lose sight of her. She does smile as she walks passed him. He follows immediately after and they head to the maze entrance together. The line is small as people are hurrying to get a good view of the tree. They don’t speak as they wait to go inside. He’s never felt so uncomfortable around Ashley before and he’s afraid it will only get worse from here.

The paths are smaller than Matt expected so he and Ashley have to stand fairly close in order to let other people by them. In general the maze is not as big as he assumed it would be. It feels so tight. It’s like there is no escape except the exit at the end somewhere. They get close to the first turn and Ashley goes left with no hesitation placing a hand on the wall for a moment before the cold causing her to pull it back. Matt follows behind her confused but curious. They reach a dead end the next turn. Weirdly Ashley does not simply turn back. She follows the wall around and back out before continuing down the path.

“What are you doing?” Matt can’t keep the laugh from his voice as he asks. Ashley has always been a little weird. He always liked that. It shook up his “normal” life a bit. Everyone should have an Ashley in their lives.

Ashley looks back for one moment then faces ahead again as she explains, “If you pick either the left or right wall and follow it you’ll always find your way out of a maze without getting lost.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Every time?”

“Every time.”

“Cool.” He hopes she isn’t messing with him but he can’t bring himself to tease her about it.

“Yeah, Chris... taught… me.” Her voice fades out at the end of her sentence. She bites her lip and looks like she regrets saying anything. It feels colder and he bundles up a bit. They are back to walking in quiet while Ashley follows the wall through two more turns and he follows Ashley only a step behind.

“You really like him, huh?”

Matt can’t believe he brings it up. He can’t believe he’s the one who has to. When Ashley stops to turn and face him, his heart beats faster. He swallows as they lock eyes. She doesn’t answer until they are walking again, “Yeah I do. A lot.”

“Why?”

“Do you actually want to know?”

“Of course I do. Why wouldn't I want to know?”

“Because you don’t like him.”

Matt can’t say anything in response. He doesn’t like Chris. He’s surprised he doesn’t dislike him more after this night. He’s not a hateful person though. He just doesn’t have it in him to hate so no he doesn’t hate Chris. She’s right though. That doesn’t mean he likes Chris.

“No, I don’t.”

“Why?”

“He’s obnoxious and annoying.”

He swears he hears her laugh after a short pause. He isn’t sure why but it’s too nice to hear for him to be bothered by it. He smiles awkwardly even though she can’t see it and moves to walk by her side. She is smiling a small smile as she looks forward and leads them. It gives him the confidence he needs to keep talking.

“And I guess-”

She looks at him, putting her hand on the wall to guide their way since she isn’t watching the way anymore. He sighs loudly, “He’s not good enough for you, Ash. He’s a know-it-all and so full of himself. He didn’t even dress up to take you out. Does he ever take you anywhere nice or is it all food trucks and arcade games? Don’t you wish he took you to better places?”

“No.”

“No?”

“I like food trucks and arcade games.”

Matt sputters for a second. He can’t look away from her. She does that to him sometimes. Which makes her strange, which he likes. He tries to find some hint in her face that she is just covering for Chris. He tries to see if there is some clue to tell him she is lying. She is a very good liar so even if she did feel that way he probably couldn’t tell. Although something about her face is too genuine to be fake. She is glowing just thinking about Chris. She reminds Matt of Hannah.

After that thought he feels the same way he does when tackled during a game as he finally sees it. Ashley doesn’t like Chris. Ashley loves Chris. Deeply. The way Hannah loves Matt. He never realized how he always thought she was settling for him. It feels unfair now. He should have faith in Ashley. She knows and respects herself to handle this which he should have understood. While it doesn’t change how he feels about Chris, it does change how he feels about Chris and Ashley.

Ashley must think him not talking is a bad sign because she sighs and says, “Look I get it, Matt. You don’t like him and you wish I didn’t like him but I do. That’s not going to change, okay? So I would like it if you backed off a little.”

“Back off how?” he almost snaps. She sounds mad when he didn’t do anything wrong.

“Not shoving him to the ground would be a good start!”

“He was pushing you around!”

“No, he wasn’t and you know he wasn’t!”

“Well, I didn’t like how he was talking to Hannah either. He should be more respectful to girls. Especially ones he supposedly cares about.

Ashley rolls her eyes and he knows why without asking, “Respect is earned.”

He stops. So does she once she realizes, “Are you saying Hannah doesn’t deserve respect?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But that’s what you think. You think you don’t have to respect my girlfriend!”

“She treats you like trash!”

“No she doesn’t!”

“Yes she does! She makes you take her to fancy restaurants and dresses you up like some kind of toy. She tells you what to do all the time. She whines or gets pouty when you upset her. She’s a bully!”

“She’s not a bully!”

“She makes you do everything for her!”

“I like doing things for Hannah! I like to make her happy! I don’t need you to tell me she isn’t treating me right!”

“Well I don’t need you telling Chris doesn’t treat me right either!”

Matt is taken aback. Ashley doesn’t get mad often but when she does she’s spitfire, as cute as she is terrifying. She looks like she wants to cry and keep screaming at the same time. He’s not sure what to do. He’s not good with words. He speaks in actions and doesn't know what either of them wants. Except to stop. Finally it’s her who pushes passed the tension.

“Matt,” she sighs, “What are we doing?”

He sighs too, “Well, it feels like we’re fighting.”

“But we don’t fight.”

“First time for everything.”

“I don’t like it.” She crosses her arms and leans away while he stuff his hands in his pockets.

“Me either.”

“Then why are we doing it?”

Matt looks her up and down. His oldest friend. She’s grown up as much as he has. She is as much of a woman as he is a man. He can’t remember them as babies together, but he does remember her messy hair and dangling jewelry from grade school. He remembers the tears when her mom died. He remembers long Sundays and their many “volunteer” hours at church. He remembers summers of popsicle faces and playgrounds. He remembers driving anywhere they could think for a whole weekend after he got his driver's license. He remembers her stoned ramblings and their drunk laughter. He remembers her jumping into his arms for a hug. He remembers Ashley. He remembers his best friend.

“Because we care about each other,” he finally answers, “Or I care about you.”

“I care about you too! I want you to be happy.”

“I want you to be happy too!”

“I am happy.”

“So am I.”

Silence again. Each one gets a little better though. Each one is less painful. That must be good. Matt gives a small laugh, “Then what’s the problem?”

“I guess there isn’t one,” she says with her own small laugh. They are both smiling as Matt steps back into her space. She looks happy. He feels happy. His happy and her happy are different. That’s all. Both happys are good though. He didn’t see it before but he does now. This is okay. The two of them have never been a matching set before anyways. What’s one more difference? At the end of the day this friendship is special.

“I still don’t like Hannah,” she confesses.

“I still don’t like Chris.” Matt shrugs.

“I like that she makes you happy.”

“I like that he makes you happy.”

“I think that’s really all that matters then.”

It feels right when she says it so he agrees, “It is all that matters.”

She is smiling that big smile as she grabs his hand and starts to lead him along the wall again. “Alright then how about we get out of this ice box before we freeze?”

“If you say so, you’re the brains here,” he replies and she laughs.

With that he rushes ahead pulling her behind him. She may be the smart one but he’s always been the better athlete. And Matt wouldn’t want him and Ashley to be any other way.

* * *

Matt and Ashley find Chris and Hannah with very little time to spare. They’ve found a great spot to see the large tree in the center of the whole festival. They’re right up against the fence with the best view to see every bit of the tree. They all wave frantically to each other as they spot the other pair. Ashley almost barrels into Chris’ arms with a soft giggle as Matt pulls Hannah in as close as he can.

“Whoa,” Chris whispers when Ashley peaks up at him, “Slow down there, cutie.”

“Sorry,” she giggles sweetly and with a suggestive look whispers sensually, “I guess I’m just excited for us to unwrap some gifts later tonight.”

“Oh, hell yeah.” Chris gives her a sexy look clearly having caught her meaning before cupping her face, leaning down to kiss her. Ashley responds with a satisfied hum.

Matt glances over for half a second before his attention is solely on Hannah. Her brushes her hair from her face and kisses her temple. She hugs him around the waist and they cuddle close as the light around them dim. She leans her head on his shoulder, his arm secure around her mid back to keep her close. He snuggles against her side and she cuddles into him right back as the lights disappear.

After a moment of darkness, music begins to play and both couples watch the tree blink to life, illuminating the entire area around it. Red, greens, yellows, blues, and purples shine brightly, almost blinding the foursome. For a few minutes the lights flicker on and off in a few patterns and rhythms. Music plays along with the flashing lights. Whoever is in charge does something to make fake snow fall from above so it covers the tree. It’s a lovely display that makes the breath catch in their throats.

A moment after it stops and the tree stands lit the crowd begins to clap. Their group joins in though much less enthusiastically. They stare up at the tree for a good minute as the other lights come back on. They are ready to end what must have been the worst double date in history.

“So,” Chris starts in a teasing tone, “You guys wanna do this again next year?”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed my far too long mess of a gift.
> 
> Feedback always welcome.


End file.
